Home remedies for canker sores

I read the suggestions in your “Home and Herbal Remedies” book, but I had none of the items mentioned. The discussion got me thinking, though, and I tried swishing Pepto-Bismol around in my mouth before going to bed.

The result was unbelievable. I had no pain the next day; the sores were almost healed. I swished one more time, and now they’re gone. I thought your readers might like to know.

Your Pepto-Bismol remedy resembles one we heard about years ago: swishing a mouthful of Mylanta around for a few minutes.

Many readers report that taking L-lysine tablets or vitamin B-12 can prevent canker sores, while others have had success taking Prelief or eating canned green beans, banana or kiwi fruit.

Controlling blood sugar

If your doctor cannot change your prescription, you may want to explore some of our nondrug approaches for helping control blood sugar. They include following a low-carb diet, exercising (especially with friends), managing stress, enjoying coffee and adding cinnamon to some favorite foods.

Curing C. diff infection

She was so sick that her children rushed her back to the hospital. Her doctor suggested a fecal transplant. That sounded disgusting, but it worked. Her daughter, my niece, was the donor. My sister went back to work this week! We are all delighted it was so effective.

A recent study found that fecal transplantation can cure hard-to-treat C. diff infections in 86 to 92 percent of cases (European Journal of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases online, March 14, 2014).